Socket support for fluorescent light fixtures



I. l. KLONER May 22, 1945.

SOCKET SUPPORT FOR FLUORESCENT LIGHT FIXTURES Filed Nov. 13, 1942 izzi'an'.

Patented May 22, 1945 sooner `LIGHT FIXTURES t OFFICE, L

' 3 Irving-VI. Kloner, Brooklyn, NY.

This inventionrelatesto.lighting fixtures and morej3particular1y it pertains 'to lighting iixtures `of the iluorescent type, and ,this application is a `continuation in part` of33my` priorqapplication` for Fluorescent lighting fixture `cabinets,3 Serial 1 Number3365,15l, led November 312, V1940.03 3

, 33 The housings of fluorescent light `fixtures whereinthe light socket supporting3 member is rigidly attached to the housingare o'fwa considerable 3 depth, This is necessarily .Sowbecause of the fact that the lamp sockets employed in holding and `supporting3 the tubes or bulbs of fluorescent lights are of such construction that inorderto position 33 Figure 1 ,is

` "view in elevation illustrating" a fluorescent lamp housing constructed inaccordance 'with the Apresent invention, in positionupon ,aceilingnl 3 3 them inthe housing, a considerable depth of the housingis necessary.` The `depthrequiredin this type ofhousing-is such that it producesthe eiect of bulkiness and materially detracts from the appearancethereof,33 1 3 t 3 v In some 33types of housings, ,theV lampsocket supporting members are in the form oftasupporting element which isdetachably engaged with the` housing and the lamp socket 3is attached theretobeforethesupporting element is placed inposition` In thistype of construction, the depth ofthe e housing is immaterial since the lampsupporting socket is' attached to its supporting member before Ythe supporting member ispositioned -in the hshousing., 3 3 3 This last mentioned type of housing, however,-

requires assembly of. the lampsocket supporting t member at `the point of installationoi the xture. Thus,` one object of the presentinventionis to4 provide a fluorescent lamp housing in which the lamp socket support or carrying member is,3

obj ect of the invention to provide "parts`"ma1y be rigidly secured in s Figure 2 is a view in elevation partly;` broken `away taken at right angles` toFigure ,1 and `on an enlarged scale,

3 Figure 33 is `a detailed vertical `sectional @view taken. substantially `through the center; oft, the `housing with `the housing lustratedinFigure 1 ,3 Y

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4ofFigure 3, 3 3 ,Figure 5 is a sectional ,view s on theline 5-5 oiFigure 3, 33

e Figure 6 isa top plan view illustratingankend `member forclosing the ends 3of tlielhousing,

Figure 'I `is a View intside elevationmof the end member, 3 ,3,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the manner in which the lamp socket is positioned in the lamp socket supporting member of the housing, and; t 3,

Figure 9 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken `Slllis'.tautially l ilustratingtlie manner in which the housing may besuspended. e 3e e t v e Referring to the drawing by referencecharacter, `lll designates a ceiling, the lamp housing being designated II.` The'housingmaybe,secured tothe ceiling Ivllby screws I2, asillustratedin Figures 3` andb; Projecting ufrom'the housing there are' two lamp sockets I3 of the conventional 35 type and a iluorescent bulb .orftube I4 issupported by these sockets inthe conventional V"mannelmember I5 and a cover IS therefor;4 The v `4c ner.` 3 3 v t,

The housing I I, in Figure 2, consists of a chan- .t 3lar`np socket supporting3 member which conforms Aa iiuorescent light `housing in which certain Aof 3 the partsare` both rigidly heldin position and `'yet they may "be removed and replaced Without injury thereto.-` 3 s 3 It is a further object of the invention to provide a new and novel construction whereby'thelighting xture maybesuspended instead of 4rigidly .aattachedfto a ceiling, wall'or other surface;` e :Withtlieabovel and other objects in View; referin shape to the interior of ltherchannel member.

r This lamp `socket supporting member is lU-shaped,

3 inverted position, with relation to the base wall'of `the channel member and 3`securedthereto by see curing its legs to their respectiveliianges Il ofthe channel member preferablyby spot weldingas at 20', see Figure 8, to rigidly secure the lamp 3 in the position 11- 3 ilment-'ini-iwire'd condition andtheir' placing-1in op- 32 of l*theend.meml'serbeing bent Aar'oun'dwthei rufei socket supporting member to the channel member and the base portion 2l of the lamp socket supporting member provides a lamp socket supporting platform which occupies a position in spaced parallel relation to the base wall of the channel member. The socket supporting platform is cut out to provide a lamp socket receiving opening 25.

By reference to Figures 2 and 8, it will be apparenti'tiiat this opening 25fin2'thefjbasei portion of theiilamp' socket-supporting member .ris .fc-onsi'derably greater in width than the thickness of the socket member and this is an important feature.: of this invention for it permits. of the socket be-y ing' rocked into position with'thesooketrcmr-ying member rigidly secured to the channelmember l5 in the manner illustrated in dotand'dashlines in Figure 8 of the drawing. y y l The inner side edge oftheopening25"in"the socket supporting member is formed Withaislpt. for the reception of a bolt 26 which serves member, it being understood that when thil'amp lfthefhousing and-thatffthey aresiruar- `info-onstruction. n l ITlsgfmeansof `theiconstnictionjust"described, it jis obviousfthatlthe provision of the* emarged-opensocket to position in the lampfjsocket'- supporting 1 member, faisofperr'its of- 'reduoingffthofnepth of the housing thus giving 'rfpezair`a`r1ce to housings 'of character infa'ddition it permits of` Wiri the'sockets'tbe'fore -tlieyiiare placedf in'fposition' upon'ithe'sdcket 4supporting *membersfitnus permitting ofJ their 1 shipmore' attractive r'aperative position when the housing is assembled,

""struc'tin, A"a fdeso ription-" offene will be deemed Referring to the drawing, the en'dfclosingmemv- `lber*isdesignatedfSil-arid it" may be providd'with fone-'or more knockoutssiieh-asfa l :and-'extending adly "frome'ach' of T'the yopposite'fsideedgesof pr feraioiyk formedowitlr an openingta.,

spective anges I1 of, the..channel.,.member i5,

"Whicliconstrutiom permits bf the wingifmembers spectivelegs of .theV lamp socket' supporting member .asat,34 Ain Figure-5.fwithoutoferingf incover-memberioffthe housing.

"'terference. with .the vproper,rpositioningvpf the It will also be notedfwbyfreference?to-.'fgurei5,

nated- H' and'ff.that-fithe'Ewing members'fSZ 'bend i around -f their respective-side iianges""f35 -and`3 "35" I tofprovide attaching* meansZ forftheendmembers 5 sired to remove the end member it is only necessary to bend the ear members 32 outof engagement with the legs of the socket supporting member by means of a screw driver or other suitable tool which fmaybe inserted tins the y*openings 33 to iovlfaiiitatethisoperation. l

The end member also has extending from its .wtop edge two extensions 36 which, when the end member is imposition, overlie the base 2| ofthe lampfsocketsupporting member. These exten- 5"sion'si36 are spaced with respect to each other and i :fare adaptedr'to overlie the base portion of the lamp socket supporting member as illustrated at 38 in v`'-"Figureil 1"That-edge of the end member upon mwhich the extensions are formed 'is also turned 20 over upon itself as at 36 and again as at 31 tov fprovi'de i an inwardlyturnedfiangei1which exftends'f-b'etween'- the extensions 3 Stand 'verlies'the vedge fpfff'the adjacent portionv ff'lfthe Faln'ge 235' Loiuthetibase'fof"the" lampesocket supporting-mem- 25 f 1barras illustrated inAg Figure 1 Eachfofy these extensions "36a is f providedllwith wanf'opening'lilf the'purpose of whi'chlttill l'bef-'here- :inafter described. i Projectingfrom the opposite edge'fflthe endmember'there are two extensions F40 which arerfspace'dfrom-*each other--iandlwrch f-areadaptedrtof overlie'the inner face 'oftheibase i'sionffor recessff42 in'-the'outer"iace'ofithei base wall of the channel memberifiWhen' it isdesirdftorsecure the'xture rigidly r 40 ldnrpffisition' by means; offtherscre'wsi I'Zi'heretofore f mentioned-' theton'gu'esw I ljare positioned-l within "theirJ recesses-i12. fWhenjf howeverf it `1isidesired ffto suspend the iixture, "the "tongues'fi 4 I imay'be bent to the position in which one isfiliu'strated v'or Lsuspendedas videsired "and "thatwwhenf the understood ithat the baseporuongz prthuamp ysocketsupporting member is providediwith open- 60 ings lwhich register wim-rue openings-iss when the end members arelinposition. `With the openings' `39Va1id "15 jin registrationwith' each jther vandinvl registration Wi'tl'iithe' openings mentioned inj'the" lamprso'ck'et supporting" ,lm embr'g-a fself` 65 'threading lscrew'or similar means may be inserted in these openings to.secur e together,.the`fchannel memberjtheLcover' memberanct-'thelampsocket "supprtingmer'nber infaunitarystructure, f It is falso to',be-.understoodthat the y coi/'en memvber'is provided with openings through-whicmthe lamp sockets, *projectswhen` :the. -cover=member is i pladiin. .position .uponf the {channelf-member.

i lf With thefseyeralgparts;fstheehousingiassembledias' described, it. willfbe azpparentzthaithend 64.mer nbersfl willzvbeirigidlyfV retaimediimposition to ing, separate `means having operative engage- 4ment with the lamp socket supporting means close the ends of the housing and that the cover member will be securely retained in position by reason of its attachment to the lamp socket supporting members which are welded to flanges Il of channel member l5.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention provides a novel construction by means of which the lamp socket sup` porting members may be rigidly mounted in a housing which is of no greater depth than housings heretofore constructed in which the lamp socket supporting element is in the form of a removable member. Furthermore, the new con-` struction permits of the housing being formed with considerablyless depth than housings of the type in which the lamp socket supporting members are rigidly and permanently attached to the channel member.

The constructionherein presented also reduces the number of loose or separate parts in ,transit as Well as reducing the number of assembly operations required at the installation point. j

i Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a lighting `fixture housing, achannel.

member having relatively narrow side flanges, a cover member having side anges adapted to overlap the side flanges of the channel member to form the housing, U-shaped lamp socket carrying members having the free ends of their leg members secured to the relatively narrow side iianges of the channel member with the bases for securingthe cover member and channel member together, and means carried by the end members and` extending between the cover and the lamp supporting means for aiding in retainingthe end members in their proper positions. ll. In a lighting fixture, a relatively shallow elongated open channel base member closedat of the lamp socket carrying members forming lamp socket supporting platforms, means for securing lamp sockets to said platforms, separate end members for closing the ends of the housing, extensions projecting from the end members and overlying their respective lamp socket supporting platforms, and means passing through the cover member, the extensions of the end members and the lamp socket supporting platforms for securing the channel member, the end meml bers and the cover member together in `a unitary structure.

2. In a lighting fixture, a channel member, U-

shaped lamp socket carrying members having their legs secured to the channel member with their bases in spaced parallel relation to the channel member, a cover member adapted to receive the channel member and enclose the lamp socket carryingmembers to form a housing having open ends, end plates for closing the open ends of the housing, extensions on each of said end plates for bending around the legs of its respective lamp socket carrying member to secure the end plates in the housing to close the ends thereof, projections extending from the end plates adapted to overlie the lamp socket carrying members when the end plates are in the housing closing posi-- tion, and means passing through the housing, the extensions of the end plates which ovelie the lamp socket carrying members and the lampopposite ends, a rigidly formed lamp socket supporting platform at each of the closed channel member ends permanently attached to the channel and bridging the open side-of said channel member, lamp sockets each of a greater length than the depth ofthe channel member end, said lamp socket supporting platforms each having a socket receiving `opening therein, the ratio of the width to the" length of said opening'is proportionately greater than the ratio of the thickness to the width of the socket. so as to permit catacornering each socket end into a seated position through one oi said openings from the interior of the channel base member in a direction longitudinal there-of so that the socket end' projects beyond the platform, means for retaining the sockets firmly in seated position on the platforms,` and a Vcover member having side ilanges fitted over the base member and against said platforms, said cover member having openings through which said socket ends project.

5. In a fluorescent tube lighting fixture of the character described, an elongated channel basemember having closedends and a shallow open side between said ends, a rigidly formed supporting platform projecting inwardly from each of said closed ends to bridge over the channel 'through said opening whereby an end of said socket projects beyondits supporting platform, means engaging a portion of each L-shaped socket within theVA channel for rmly securing the sockets in seated position on the platforms, and a U-shaped cover member adapted to receive the channel member and mountedon the platforms to form a housing having spaced openings through which the socket ends project.

6. In a lighting fixture housing, a, channel member having side flanges, a cover member having side flanges adapted to overlap the side iianges of the channel member to form the housing, lamp socket carrying members secured to the side ian'ges of the channel member, means for securing lamp sockets to said lamp socket carrying members, separateA end members for closing the ends of the housing, extensions projecting from the end members and overlying portions of their respective lamp socket carrying members, and means passing through the cover member, the extensions of the end members and portions of the lamp socket carrying members for securing the channel member, the end members, and the cover Amember together in a unitary structure.

. i l `iavniof 1. KLONER. 

